Top 5 Finishes From American Heroes In ONE Championship

Mixed martial artists from the United States are among the greatest in the world, and they have shown their prowess with some incredible finishes in ONE Championship.

From burgeoning stars to legends of the sport, there has been no shortage of elite American athletes on the global stage, and they have delivered some memorable stoppage victories inside the Circle – both by knockout and submission.

Here are five of their most breathtaking finishes in the world’s largest martial arts organization.

Eddie Alvarez’s Amazing Comeback Victory

After a crushing leg kick from Eduard “Landslide” Folayang sent him to the canvas, Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez staged a jaw-dropping comeback to notch his first victory in The Home Of Martial Arts at ONE: DAWN OF HEROES in August 2019.

As Folayang rained down ground and pound, the Philadelphia native secured an underhook on the Filipino’s left leg and swept him to achieve top position. Alvarez quickly moved to mount, which forced the former ONE Lightweight World Champion to give up his back.

With both hooks in, Alvarez looked for the rear-naked choke. As “The Underground King” flattened Folayang out, he slipped his right arm under the chin and began to squeeze.

The Filipino martial arts icon had no choice but to tap, and Alvarez got the comeback victory at 2:16 of the first round.

Troy Worthen’s Powerful Ground And Pound

Troy “Pretty Boy” Worthen is one of the fastest rising stars in the bantamweight division, and he showed why with a second-round TKO over “Rock Man” Chen Lei at ONE: EDGE OF GREATNESS last November.

Worthen finished the first round in top position, but he was unable to put his rival away and sought to change that in the second frame. After a brief stint on the feet where he scored with a head kick, the Evolve representative put Chen back on the canvas with his wrestling.

After passing to mount, the American was finally able to unload his heavy ground and pound. Worthen landed flush punches around Chen’s guard as he turned away from the pressure.

The relentless strikes forced the Chinese warrior to give up his back, and “Pretty Boy” continued his assault until the referee slid in to wave off the contest in the dying seconds of the round.

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Demetrious Johnson’s Insane Guillotine Choke

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson met Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu in his promotional debut at ONE: A NEW ERA in March 2019, and he showcased the well-rounded skills that made him North America’s most dominant World Champion.

Following a competitive first round, Johnson took Wakamatsu to the canvas in the second stanza. Though the Japanese athlete returned to his feet briefly, the AMC Pankration representative was able to slip around to his back and drag him back to the mat. “Little Piranha” survived a rear-naked choke attempt, but he could not get back to his feet again.

As Johnson worked from side control, Wakamatsu scrambled in an attempt to get up. In the blink of an eye, “Mighty Mouse” responded by grabbing a front headlock.

A succession of knees forced Wakamatsu to open up, and Johnson jumped on the opportunity to sink in an incredibly tight guillotine choke to earn the tap and his place in the semifinals.

Emilio Urrutia’s Crushing KO

Emilio “The Honey Badger” Urrutia put on a striking showcase against Bruno “Puccibull” Pucci in his promotional debut at ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES in January 2018. Speed, precision, and patience allowed him to put away the ever-tough Brazilian in emphatic fashion.

Urrutia punished him with crisp combinations to the body and head. A clean right hand rocked Pucci, and the Miami, Florida native followed up with lightning-fast combos. The Brazilian survived the initial onslaught by holding on and falling to the mat, but Urrutia played the long game.

“The Honey Badger” stood up to reset and stalked his prey in a calculated hunt for the finish. He touched “Puccibull” with a jab, and then he fired off a straight right-left hook combination, which crunched into Pucci’s jaw and folded him in two against the Circle Wall for a stunning KO finish.

Thanh Le’s Blistering Knee Knockout

Thanh Le made an unforgettable first impression in ONE Championship when he knocked out veteran contender Yusup “Maestro” Saadulaev at ONE: FOR HONOR in May 2019.

Saadulaev used his grappling to great effect in the first round. The talented Vietnamese-American spent a large portion of the opening frame in a defensive position, unable to utilize his striking acumen.

However, just 12 seconds into the second frame, everything changed.

Le threw a high kick at the same time as “Maestro” was changing levels for a takedown attempt. As a result, the New Orleans native’s knee connected flush to the jaw and left Saadulaev spread-eagled on the canvas.

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